Central Coast late winner vs. Nth Qld

SYDNEY (AP) - Defender Patrick Zwaanswijk scored in stoppage time to give Central Coast a 3-2 win over 10-man North Queensland, lifting the Mariners to second place in Australian football's A-League.

Dutch veteran Zwaanswijk headed home the winner in Saturday's game to lift the Mariners to within three points of unbeaten leaders Adelaide, who play winless Sydney on Monday.

North Queensland was left in 10th place on the championship ladder with only one win from nine games, narrowly ahead of Sydney which has yet to win in eight matches. Saturday's match was its third in eight days and its battle against fatigue in the last 10 minutes was worsened when Dyron Daal received a second yellow card, reducing it to 10 men.

Football Federation Australia is also expected to review a halftime incident involving North Queensland coach Franz Straka, referee Kurt Ams and fourth official Kris Griffith-Jones.

Straka was apparently incensed when Ams blew for halftime just as North Queensland, leading 1-0, was setting up to take a corner. Griffith-Jones intervened as Straka attempted to remonstrate with the referee while the teams left the field.

"We were annoyed when halftime was called when we had an attacking opportunity," assistant coach Stuart McLaren said. "It's not known in world football to blow halftime or fulltime when a team has a free-kick or a corner in the attacking third.

"We tried to make a point to the referee but the fourth official intervened. Maybe Franz was a little bit animated."

Bruce Djite scored twice as Gold Coast opened the round on Friday with a 3-1 home win over Wellington. Djite scored in the sixth and 70th minutes as Gold Coast posted its first win over Wellington in four meetings since it joined the A-League last season. Gold Coast has now beaten every team in the A-League at least once.

The match continued Wellington's poor form away from home. Although the New Zealand club sits in fifth place with 11 points, only one point has been earned in Australia, while being unbeaten at home in 23 games.

In remaining ninth round games, Perth was due to play Brisbane Sunday, Sydney host Adelaide on Monday, and Melbourne Heart and Melbourne Victory meet in a local derby on Friday.